


Of Gods And Men

by Cj59



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Companions, Danse doesn't deserve this, Evil Sole Survivor?, Nick Valentine is a robodad, depends how you look at it, i guess, the gang's all here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 09:14:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8138698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cj59/pseuds/Cj59
Summary: Nora became the Director of the Institute with one goal in mind: To heal the Commonwealth. But what Nick Valentine realizes is Nora's willing to finish that goal without regard to the lives of the innocent. To save the world, Nick is forced to gather friends and foes alike to take on the most mysterious organization in the Commonwealth.
"The Commonwealth is sick, Valentine. And I am going to heal it, no matter what," Nora said.
"Heal it?" Nick snarled. "Nora, what you're doing is madness! You're going to destroy the Commonwealth, along with all the innocent people up there!"
Nora set her jaw. "Sometimes, you have to cut off an arm to stop the infection from spreading. Only then can you save the patient's life."
"You aren't cutting off the arm, you're cutting off the head! God, Nora, you aren't any better than your son!"
Nora growled at that. "Don't try to stop me, Nick. You may want this world to stay broken, but I am going to fix it."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody! This is my first Fallout fic, so I hope y'all enjoy it. I think this is going to be a pretty interesting story and I'm excited to write it. Anyway, i hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 1: Oh Ye Of So Little Faith**

 

_ “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” _

  
  


_ Nick _

 

“Nice place you got.” Nick strolled into Nora’s office in the Institute, rolling a cigarette between his fingers.

 

“Nick. I'm glad you're here,” Nora looked up from a stack of paperwork in her desk. “I need to talk to you about something.”

 

“I figured,” Nick said dryly. He walked to the window and peered down at the Institute, an uneasy feeling settling in his chest.

 

“Thought it’d be a cold day in Hell before I saw the inside of this place,” he muttered.

 

“The Institute is changing, Nick,” Nora replied. “The synths are more equal here now. The Institute isn't going to stand by and watch the Commonwealth suffer.”

 

Nora walked to Nick, standing by his side. “We're going to make the Commonwealth a better place. We're going to  _ heal  _ it.”

 

“Quite the aspiration.” Nick turned to Nora. “That's not going to be an easy thing to do.”

 

Nora smiled. “No, it's not. But you know me, I can't resist a challenge.”

 

Nick smirked at that. “So what's the problem you're having?”

 

Nora sighed, her face falling. “It's Danse.”

 

Nick raised an eyebrow. “The Brotherhood of Steel Paladin? I thought you got rid of them along with the Railroad.”

 

Nora’s face soured more. “That was a necessary move, Nick,” she said softly. “I didn't enjoy it, but it had to be done.”

 

Nick didn't answer, instead choosing to look out the window again.

 

“Danse was kicked out of the Brotherhood. They found out he was a synth.” Nora explained.

 

“That must've been one hell of a shock.” Nick murmured around his cigarette. He could only imagine what Danse had felt, realizing he was the very thing that he had been trained to hate from his first day with the Brotherhood.

 

“No kidding. Anyway, I brought him to the Institute because, well, he really didn't have anywhere else to go. I thought he would be able to settle in, realize that being a synth wasn't nearly as horrible as the Brotherhood had made it out to be.”

 

“What happened?” Nick could see where this was going.

 

Nora rubbed her forehead. “I explained to him how the Institute was going to help the Commonwealth; how we were going to fix it. He didn't seem to take it too well for some reason. Later that day, I realized that Danse was missing, along with a copy of blueprints from Engineering.”

 

“Blueprints for what?” Nick asked.

 

“A machine the Institute has been researching a long time. I'm not sure what exactly it does, but if it falls into the wrong hands, it will destroy any future the Commonwealth can ever hope to have.”

 

“And you're afraid Danse is going to put it in those hands.” Nick frowned. This was strange, even for the ex-Paladin. Danse had always had a sense of honor and loyalty. Betraying Nora, even if she was part of the Institute, wasn't his style. Something smelled funny about the case.

 

Nora sighed. “What else would he be doing with them?” she shook her head. “I thought I could trust him, and he betrayed me…”

 

“Don't worry, Nora,” Nick said. “I'll find him and the blueprints.”

 

“Mom?” A young boy, about ten, poked his head into the office.

 

“Hey, Shaun. You all right?” Nora’s voice softened.

 

“Yeah, I just wanted to know, where's Mister Danse? I told him I was gonna take him on a tour!”

 

“He's not here right now.” Nora answered tightly.

 

“Oh. Okay, thanks.” Shaun looked sad before ducking back out of the room.

 

Nora stared at the empty doorway. “What kind of mother would I be to let my child live in a world like this if I knew I could do something about it?” She asked softly.

 

“This world is broken. I need to fix it. If not for the people, then for my son. I can't let Danse ruin this world anymore than it already is.”

 

She met Nick's eyes. “I don't want him hurt, but if it comes to that…”

 

“I understand,” Nick nodded. “I'll get right on the case.”

 

 

 

Back at his office in Diamond City, Nick moved aside some of his other cases. He read through all of the papers Nora had given him, noting places Danse would be likely to go and headquarters of raider groups.

 

“Hey, Nicky.” A gruff voice interrupted Nick’s work. He looked up to see a familiar ghoul leaning against the shoddy wall.

 

“Hancock,” Nick greeted him. “What're you doing here?”

 

Hancock pushed off the wall and gazed down at Nick’s desk. He snatched one of Nora's papers and held it up to read it.

 

“Damn. Quite the warrant you've got out for Danse here.”

 

“It ain't mine.” Nick said. “Nora's looking for him.”

 

Hancock’s smirk fell, replaced with a scowl. “Yeah? What’d he do, hurt her feelings by talkin’ smack ‘bout her pretty Institute?”

 

Nick pulled the paper out of Hancock’s hands and set it on the desk. Nick knew Hancock had felt betrayed by Nora's decision to help the Institute, and he was apparently still holding it against her.

 

“He stole dangerous plans from the Institute, something that could destroy the Commonwealth.” Nick answered a bit sharply.

 

Hancock whistled. “Don't really seem like the Paladin.”

 

“Yeah. Something's not right about this case.” Nick muttered.

 

The door burst open, and a man staggered into the agency, pale-faced and holding a deep burn in his right shoulder.

 

Hancock reflexively pulled his gun out, pointing it at the man. Nick stood up as he realized that Hancock was face to face with Danse.

 

“Nick Valentine,” Danse’s deep voice sounded urgent. “I need your help.”

 

Danse collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. Hancock blinked at him before turning to Nick.

 

“What the hell is going on here?” The ghoul muttered.


End file.
